Huge Changes Coming to Scripps Stations
/Scripps CEO Adam Symson sent out an internal email to the employees and it appears that big changes are coming as to how Scripps operates their newsrooms across the country.
FTVLive obtained the memo and we will post it below with some more information below that.
I agree with much that Symson says, and some would argue that he wrote almost exactly what FTVLive has been saying for years.
Especially this portion, were the CEO writes:
“A multimedia journalist (MMJ) may be live at noon, write a digital version afterward and then be assigned a new piece to report, write, shoot and edit before being live again at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. This commitment to multiple platforms is important but has certainly also contributed to the dilution of our television product and the burnout of those in the field.
As an industry, while we’ve expected more, the compensation for our journalists hasn’t kept up. In fact, “MMJ,” while once a descriptor for an evolved reporting role that could care for every element of the package, has now become synonymous with a lesser title, likely with a lower compensation opportunity. The reality is that every MMJ and reporter does need to be able to manage each part of the package, but not at the expense of the actual reporting.
When audiences were large and the competition over them fierce, local broadcast companies relied on consultants who further focused attention on performance over substance. Consultants traveled from group to group, station to station, proffering the same playbook. Stations across the country became homogenized with brands, taglines, looks and tactics that initially seemed to pop with the audience but have ultimately come to mean nothing to the communities they serve.”
Sources tell FTVLive that before this email was sent to the staff, News Directors and managers were handed down talking points when responding to employees' questions.
The fact that Symson points out that the local newsrooms will be relying more on Scripps’ national product Scripps News, has some worried.
“It sounds like there will be layoffs at some stations and then smaller markets will be much more reliant on "Scripps News" national for its content/brand,” said one Scripps employee to FTVLive.
There are already rumors going around that Scripps might be looking to do what Sinclair did, shuttering smaller market newsrooms and have Scripps News fill the void.
None of that was laid out in Symson’s email, but staffers are certainly trying to read between the lines.
Symson said many things in his memo that FTVLive has been saying for years. I hope that Scripps Is intent on bringing back real journalism and ready to invest in doing so.
Time will tell if this is a real commitment to journalism or a smokescreen before making cuts.
Stay tuned…